Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Formula USA racer Arthur Wagner, Jr. was listed in “guarded critical” condition Saturday night in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, according to friend and teammate Ray Bowman.

Wagner crashed his Suzuki GSX-R750 into a concrete wall outside of Heartland Park’s turn eight, a third-gear left-hander at the end of the back straight during the Formula USA 250K Team Challenge endurance race Friday, August 8.

According to cornerworker accounts, Wagner got into a speed wobble coming down the back straightaway, got into turn eight too hot, ran off the track and hit the wall at relatively high speed. After the impact with the wall, Wagner was seen by other racers lying motionless and on fire, but he was conscious and answering questions before he was airlifted to the hospital.

Bowman reported that Wagner broke his left hip, his lower right femur and knee, both shoulder blades, an undetermined number of vertebrae, damaged his kidneys, lacerated his liver, received second- and third-degree burns over 25 percent of his body and had internal bleeding.

“He must have hit the wall hard with his back,” said Bowman. “It looks like somebody went at him with a baseball bat.”

After talking with hospital staff, Bowman said Wagner’s kidney function improved Saturday, his lacerated liver looked as if it would heal on its own, he has suffered no paralysis and may not require surgery on his vertebrae.

“They’re going to keep him pretty heavily sedated for a while to let the swelling go down and treat the burns before they can see how many vertebrae he broke,” said Bowman Sunday at Heartland Park.

The wall Wagner hit is a 30-inch-high series of K-rail concrete barriers which sit approximately 50 feet from the racing surface. The wall section in the main impact zone is fronted by a loose, one-layer tire wall. It is unclear whether Wagner hit a completely unprotected section of wall or the tire-fronted section.

The new owner of Heartland Park, Ray Irwin, told Roadracingworld.com Saturday he had already began to question his staff about the location of the K-rail walls when it appears as if more run-off room is available behind them. The Formula USA event was the first motorcycle road race at Heartland Park since the ownership changed earlier this year and the first sanctioned motorcycle race at the facility since 2001.

Wagner is the co-owner of a high-performance motorcycle shop near Bloomingburg, New York called Performance Cycle.

Anyone wishing to send get-well messages to Arthur Wagner can do so through Ray Bowman at (914) 443-0344.


More, from Ray Bowman, via e-mail:

It’s August 11, What a day. Life is amazing with growth. I return from Topeka, ominous skies ahead, I’ve been flooded with responses, no–wishes–for Artie’s well being. This test of life makes me realize how special and gifted it is. I am blessed with you, my circle of family, friends and fellow racers. We need to join hands to empower Artie. He has the heart, we need to give him the strength. This test of the human race, I hope we do not fail. Thank you for your help.

Feel free to contact Bowman Cycles www.performancecycle.cc